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Beetles (Turf & Ornamental)
Latin Name: Listronotus maculicollis
Common Name: Annual bluegrass weevil
Other Names: Turfgrass weevil, Hyperodes weevil (a previous genus name)
Pest Details
Origin:
This is a native insect in the northeastern United States, and now found in the southeastern Provinces of Canada.
Biology:
This beetle tends to feed only on short-cut annual bluegrass, and therefore is a serious pest on golf course turf. If the turf is kept at a height of 1.5 inches or higher the beetle is not a significant problem. Both adults and larvae feed on the grass blades, but only the larvae do serious damage, feeding within the stems of the grass initially but then dropping to the soil to feed on roots and crowns of the grass. Adult beetles overwinter in protected places adjacent to the turf, emerging in the spring to invade the turf and deposit eggs. Typically there will be 2 generations each year, but 3 generations are possible in warmer regions.
Identification:
Latin Name: Chrysobothris femorata
Common Name: Apple tree borer
Other Names: Flatheaded apple tree borer
Pest Details
Origin:
This is a native beetle in North America.
Biology:
Despite its common name apple trees are just one of dozens of different kinds of trees that this pest beetle infests. The list includes most fruit trees, hickory, oak, elm, chestnut, hawthorn, redbug, sycamore, maple, poplar and many others. It is found from Mexico to Canada and throughout the United States. Adult beetles are most common during late spring when the females may be observed sitting or running over the bark of trees. Each female deposits about 100 eggs into crevices and holes in the bark. The larvae then feed in the cambium and sapwood of the tree, effectively girdling the tree with heavy infestations, and potentially leading to the death of the tree. The larvae create a chamber in the sapwood and spend the winter in it, pupating in
Latin Name: Anoplophora glabripennis
Common Name: Asian longhorned beetle
Other Names: Sky beetle, Starry sky beetle
Pest Details
Origin:
This beetle is native to eastern Asia in the regions of China, Korea, and Japan. While it now is a resident species in New York, New Jersey, and upper Illinois it has been found, and hopefully eradicated, in CA, WA, TX, FL, and many other states east of the Mississippi River, as well as on the island of Hawaii. It has been found living in wood packing materials shipped from Asia.
Biology:
This destructive invader to North America was first discovered in 1996 in the United States, and has since spread throughout the northeast U.S. and into Canada, as well as to many countries in Europe. It feeds on and kills many kinds of hardwood trees, including maple, ash, birch, poplar, willow, elm, and many others. The life cycle takes from 1 to 2 years to complete, with overwintering done as either larva or
Latin Name: Maladera castanea
Common Name: Asiatic garden beetle
Other Names: Oriental garden beetle (prior to changing name to Asiatic garden beetle)
Pest Details
Origin:
This is a native of Asia, but it was discovered in 1921 in New Jersey, and now is found commonly in a few Northeast states and occasionally south into South Carolina.
Biology:
Adult beetles are known to feed on over 300 different kinds of plants, potentially consuming entire leaves except for the mid-vein. Preferred food plants include shrubs or trees such as rose, box elder, viburnum, and barberry, and flowers such as aster, dahlia, chrysanthemum, and sunflower. They also attack some food plants such as cherry, peach, strawberry, carrots, and others. The larvae may be a serious pest of turf, and infestations of up to 126 larvae per square foot have been found. Adult beetles hide in or on the ground during the daytime and feed on plants at night, appearing in greatest
Latin Name: Sphenophorus spp.
Common Name: Billbug
Other Names: Bluegrass billbug
Pest Details
Origin:
These are native insects in North America.
Biology:
Several species of billbugs in this genus are important pests of turf. An eastern species is a major pest of Kentucky bluegrass, as well as feeding on ryegrass and fescue, and two western species tend to be pests more often on zoysiagrass and bermudagrass turf. Early stage larvae feed within the grass stems and then move to the soil as older larvae, feeding there on the roots. Adult females deposit eggs directly into the stems from early spring through the summer months. There is one generation per year. The adult beetles also feed on turf, and in the fall move into leaf litter or thatch to overwinter. They also may end up inside structures for the winter.
Identification:
Adult beetles are about 3/8 inch long and have a relatively long, stout, curved snout with the antennae
Latin Name: Ataenius spretulus
Common Name: Black turfgrass ataenius
Other Names: Black fairway beetle
Pest Details
Origin:
This is a native insect in North America.
Biology:
This species is one of over 63 species in North America in the genus Ataenius, but most species are not pest problems, feeding on a variety of organic materials including animal dung, decaying plant materials, and others. The black turfgrass ataenius is a turf pest that is found throughout the U.S. and southern Canada, with most southern and western states only reporting it as present there. The most serious damage to golf course turf occurs in the upper northeastern regions from Colorado to Minnesota to the east coast south to Virginia. It is primarily a golf course pest as it feeds on the roots of bluegrass and bentgrasses. The larvae feed on the roots, leading to wilting and then death of the turf in small to large patches. There are 1 or 2 generations
Latin Name: Otiorhynchus sulcatus
Common Name: Black vine weevil
Other Names: N/A
Pest Details
Origin:
It is believed that this beetle is native to northern Europe, but it has been present in North America since at least 1835. It now is found throughout the world.
Biology:
This beetle typically has only 1 generation per year in outdoor environments, but as a pest in greenhouses may have 2 generations. The larvae overwinter and resume activity in the spring, finally pupating in late spring. Adult beetles emerge in early summer and females deposit eggs throughout their life, placing them on the soil or in leaf litter near the base of plants. In some cases the adult beetles overwinter and resume activity in the spring. Adults and larvae will feed on a wide variety of ornamental plants, the larvae feeding on roots and the adults feeding on the foliage. Only females are known for this species, as it is parthenogenetic,
Latin Name: Agrilus anxius
Common Name: Bronze birch borer
Other Names: N/A
Pest Details
Origin:
This is a native beetle in North America.
Biology:
This serious pest restricts its attacks to various species of birch trees, and is particularly damaging to white-barked species such as European white birch and Paper birch. It prefers trees that are in weakened condition and may not successfully penetrate into the cambium in healthy trees that can fill the larval tunnel with sap. The life cycle takes 1 year in southern states and 2 years in cooler northern states. Adult beetles are active in early to mid summer, the females depositing eggs into crevices in the bark. The late stage larva overwinters and pupates in the spring.
Identification:
Adult beetles average about 3/8 inch long and are narrow and cylindrical. The color is from deep olive green to black with metallic bronze reflection. The larvae are typical of
Latin Name: Diaprepes abbreviatus
Common Name: Diaprepes root weevil
Other Names: N/A
Pest Details
Origin:
It is believed that this beetle is native to the Caribbean, and was imported into the U.S. around 1960 on plants from Puerto Rico. It now infests the Southeast U.S. west to Texas and on a regular basis is intercepted in shipments of plants in California.
Biology:
This weevil is a serious pest of citrus, but also feeds on more than 279 plants in 50 plant families, including corn, sugarcane, and many ornamental and other agricultural plants. Adult beetles live for up to 5 months, and females can deposit an average of 5,000 eggs in their lifetime, attaching these to protected areas of leaves in batches of 30 to 260 eggs, often gluing the edges of leaves together to form that secure oviposition site. The larvae drop to the soil and burrow down to feed extensively on the roots of the plants, ultimately girdling the crown area of
Latin Name: Chaetocnema repens
Common Name: Dichondra flea beetle
Other Names: N/A
Pest Details
Origin:
This is a native beetle in North America.
Biology:
Where dichondra is used as a ground cover or turf this beetle can do serious damage. The adult beetles feed on the leaves while the larvae feed on the roots, and larval feeding can kill the plants while adult feeding disfigures and discolors the leaves. Bermudagrass turf may also be fed upon by this beetle. Females deposit their eggs on the soil and the larvae develop to the adult stage in about 1 month.
Identification:
Adult beetles are very small, only about 1/16th inch long. They are solid black with a slightly metallic tint to them, and with greatly enlarged hind femurs that allow them to jump instantly when disturbed. This jumping habit is allows for monitoring for the beetles by passing a hand over the dichondra and watching for the beetles to jump.
Characteristicts